Goats have proven the grass is greener on the other side of the fence even if it is barren ground and they stand in lush pasture. Humans have a similar mentality. So, it is no surprise when Ryan McCormac, long-time player of Mediaeval Dungeon Adventures, stumbles upon a spell that transports him into a campaign that he believes life will be better.
Any guesses on how it turns out? You’re right. He discovers life is no better in the fantasy realm. Sure, the ex-girlfriend isn’t there, but neither are the friends he gamed with every Friday night. He quickly learns the world is horrible. Every day he fears for his life. The people are soulless, the landscape is colourless and the magic is nowhere to be found. The only way home is to find another like him and sacrifice them.
After five years, he’s finally found someone from his world. Now he just has to get her to the wizard who can perform the spell. Simple right? Except she’s a gatherer and before he reaches the wizard, she’s gathered several friends who plan to save her.
If you played Dungeons and Dragons in the 1980s, you’ve got this. You know the feeling of joining friends on a quest, choosing your race, be it dwarf or elf, your profession, possibly fighter or thief, gathering your gear and exploring endless dungeons. This story is a tribute to those days when life was good, music was better and days were endless.
It’s available in paperback and eBook. Hard cover coming soon.
My first dystopian novel is now available in eBook form. The paperback is coming soon.
Today is bathed in the shadow of yesterday.
The year is 2051. Almost three decades have passed since the Devastation destroyed civilization. Only the strong and wise survived; the weak and intellects perished. New societies emerged, forging a future with skills from the distant past.
In Green Wood, Eloise has lived in seclusion with her uncle for 12 years. While they receive visitors to Larkspur Cottage, the number of friends they have can be counted on one hand. When strangers arrive and capture her uncle, she is forced to run, but who can she turn to when she doesn’t know the land outside Green Wood or where her friends live?
Shortly after the story of the Salvation of Mary Lola Barnes begins, Mary starts walking in the evenings. While she’s been fairly active all her life, winter for many in Nova Scotia doesn’t provide much opportunity for outdoor activities unless you embrace the cold and love snow and ice.
With mild weather casting off winter’s slumber, Mary feels the need to get outside more and walk to the nearby park that has trails through the woods and along a lake. It’s a popular place for adults and children. There are even ducks.
Mary quickly learns that walking is reshaping her body. To be more exact, her legs are becoming stronger, she’s toning muscle and losing the extra weight winter hibernation added on.
My Love of Hiking
I’ve always been a hiker, a walker in the woods, but with work, kids and other responsibilities, I didn’t get onto the trails as much as I wanted to. Two years ago, I decided to change that.
One of the places my feet have taken me: Taylor Head Park, Eastern Shore, Nova Scotia.
I started small, just a kilometre. I’d walk every day it didn’t raining. Each trip out, I’d walk one more lamp pole length until I hit 5 km in one direction. After that, at least four times a week, I’d hit the road and walk that 5-km strip, which totalled 10 km per trip. The changes to my body were subtle, but what incredible changes they were.
I’m certain there were changes I couldn’t measure, such as the increased strength of my lungs. However, the things I could measure were impressive. Besides being able to walk that distance faster over time without getting out of breath, my calf muscles became leaner, I lost weight, my knees grew stronger and I could bend easier. The injury in my left knee went into hibernation. I think the muscles around the knee grew so strong, I no longer felt the injury. It was still there, and when I walked less in winter, it showed itself.
During my walks, I would think about my stories and scribble down on the scrap paper I carried anything I didn’t want to forget.
Another place my feet have taken me: Blomidon Park, Blomidon, Nova Scotia
Benefits
A quick search in the old InterWeb, reveals the top benefits of walking.
Maintain a healthy weight.
Prevent or manage various conditions, including heart disease, high blood pressure and type 2 diabetes.
Strengthen your bones and muscles.
Improve your mood.
Improve your balance and coordination.
No Training or Equipment Required
Walking is something almost everyone can do; you need only comfortable footwear unless you do as I do sometimes and walk a beach or grassy trails, then I go barefoot. Where I live, people walk by the house every day. They walk at different times and different speeds. Some are old, some are young. One woman wears braces.
If you want to get into shape and all you have is a pair of shoes and a little extra time, start walking. It doesn’t matter how fast you go or how far. Just start, and you’ll find yourself going farther and faster as you rack up the miles. That’s the wonderful thing about walking; you can do it at your own pace and when your body is ready, you can increase your distance a little bit at a time.
And here’s a secret: it’s absolutely free.
Launch Day
Today is launch day for the Salvation of Mary Lola Barnes. The first chapter is available on its book page on this website. It is available exclusively at Amazon, so if you’re a Kindle Unlimited member, you read for free.
What does a struggling writer from Nova Scotia and a wealthy movie star from California have in common? Nothing.
When they are the only survivors of a plane crash in Northern Ontario, then opposite sides of the continent must come together and overcome their Imperial and Metric systems along with their failed past relationships to escape the wilderness before starvation and the approaching winter weather claim them.
Olive and John are not your typical characters in a romance novel. Both are over 50 with a lot of life left to live if they can make it back to civilization in one piece.
Final Days of 99-cent Sale
The final 99-cent sale of Northern Survival’s book launch ends Sunday night (October 4th). The price will rise to $1.99, and then on October 15th, it will settle into its regular eBook price of $4.99.
Pick up a copy of Northern Survival today. It’s a fast-paced, quick read that mixes survival, adventure and romance.
The day after the plane crash, Olive’s and Johnathan’s spirits are still relatively high. The immediate threat to their lives – the crash – had passed and they were starting to get to know each other.
An exchange between them while they took a break from walking reveals Olive’s philosophy in life.
“Incredible. You shouldn’t have seen 50. How do feel?”
“Like I’m 23 again except I love life more. I’m here for the fun of it, the adventure. It’s why I don’t watch TV, avoid the news and don’t spend energy on the junk society thinks is important because it’s not. Each day, I’m living.”
He laughed. “Even here? With a city boy lost in the woods?”
“You make it challenging, but I enjoy the hike. I’d prefer more food, better accommodations, cream for my tea but…” She twitched her nose. “It could be worse. I’m alive and well, and that’s all that truly matters.”
Pick up a copy of Northern Survival today. It’s a fast-paced, quick read that mixes survival, adventure and romance.
On the second night of being lost in the wilderness, Johnathan complained about the noise of the forest. Olive tells him he’ll miss these sounds when he returns to the city. He disagrees, and she says…
“You don’t believe me now but wait. You’ll see. The first night you lay in bed surrounded by four walls with the window closed, you’ll wonder where those sounds are. You’ll start to wonder if everything on the planet is dead. It will be so quiet, so void of life you’ll feel like your sleeping in a tomb.”
Have you ever slept for a long period outside in a space that allowed you to hear all the sounds surrounding you in nature? I have. One summer, my kids and I slept in the pop-up trailer in the backyard from May until October. I grew accustomed to every sound: the ducks quacking, the wind through the trees, the peepers, the chickens, the goats, the distant neighbour’s dog barking, their cows, and the coyotes and foxes yelping.
After months of falling asleep to these sounds, I spent my first night in the house on a cool October night with the windows closed. It was silent. It felt like everything was dead, and I slept in a tomb.
LAST DAY OF HALF PRICE SALE
Grab your copy of Northern Survival today. Sale ends at Midnight. Only at Amazon
I’ve been in boats all my life. I’ve travelled rivers, lakes but mostly the ocean in all sorts of vessels. The smallest was a homemade raft and kayak. The largest was the car ferry to Newfoundland. I’ve been in small whale-watching boats, canoes, war canoes, paddle boats, small sailboats, dories, aluminum motor boats and wooden boats. These smaller boats range from 8 to 12 feet.
Currently, I have a 12-foot bevin skiff. There’s something about wooden boats that are more appealing than aluminium. For one, aluminium is cold on the feet and since I boat barefoot, this matters to me.
“I understand you’re in pain because your friend died. I know you miss your wife, your kids, and you worry about them thinking you’re dead, but I can excuse only so much bad attitude before I start not caring if you live or die.”
Olive says this to John shortly after the plane crash.
Northern Survival is half price until Thursday. Only at Amazon.
We’re celebrating the launch of Northern Survival this month. To kick it off, the eBook is half price from today until Thursday September 10th. That’s right! For less than the price of almost everything at the Dollar Store, you can read this fast-paced story that stars an author from Nova Scotia and a famous actor from California.
What is Northern Survival?
It’s a fictional story that doesn’t have a firm year. It might take place in 2010 or 2018. Or maybe it’s 2025. The only thing we’re sure of is it take place in September when the heat of summer is long past and the threat of frost hangs over head.
It’s a survival story, starting less than an hour before a four-seater plane crashes near Albany River near Miminska Lake, leaving two dead and two survivors in the middle of nowhere.
It’s an outdoors adventure story that sees two survivors trekking through the forest and along waterways, and building a lean-to each night for protection and a campfire for warmth.
It’s a romance story that sees two strangers come together to help each other survive the rugged Northern Ontario landscape.
It’s an inspirational story of hope and overcoming our past and what life has dealt to envision a wonderful future.
It’s a mature story starring two individuals in their early 50s, who still have a lot of life and love left to live and give. That’s right; this romance doesn’t involve individuals younger than 30, yet sometimes they reminisce about those days.
All of this for the price of 99 cents. Download it to your Kindle today.
Today is the last day to take advantage of grabbing your eBook copy of Healing Stones, book 4 of the Castle Keepers series, for 99 cents. Tomorrow, it will return to its regular price of $2.99.
First Scene Teaser
Moonsface Awaits
THE SUN HAD BEEN up for more than three hours, yet it had hidden behind billowy white clouds much of that time, stealing heat from the land and casting much of it in shadow. The cool temperature forced Isla of Maura to pull her jacket from her saddle bag. She didn’t bother buttoning it; it was a warm day with a chill that would depart as soon as the sun peeked from behind the clouds. She’d be warmer if she did something other than stand next to the cold firepit and listen to McGuigan and Lyneth argue about the best route into Moonsface.
The obvious way, the one that took them directly into the large village on Blue Myst River, was the one McGuigan wanted to take, but Lyneth, who had been to Moonsface many times, insisted they take the narrow path around the collection of knolls. It’d add at least an hour to their travel time. Isla didn’t care which course they took; she wanted to mount her two-bit horse she’d bought with money earned from tedious work and get moving. If they argued for another ten minutes, they’d have already travelled halfway through the long way.
Diane McGyver 